When it came to Shi Yuan, Lin Wangye had always listened without a word of protest.
Back in his previous life, when he was growing up under his aunt’s care, the moment he acted up or got into trouble, all it took was someone to mention ‘Uncle Shi’—even if the man was thousands of miles away—and Lin Wangye would immediately snap into line, better behaved than anyone else.
He could go from ignoring homework all summer to sitting down and doing it like his life depended on it.
He could even gulp down those bitter-as-hell Chinese meds in one shot.
Now, faced with rejection, Lin Wangye pouted a little, clearly unhappy, but tried his best to sound normal.
“…Alright.”
“Whose phone number is this?” Shi Yuan asked from the other end of the call.
“It’s Lu Chengxuan’s. My phone died and shut off, that’s why I missed your call,” Lin Wangye explained.
“Okay,” Shi Yuan replied. “You haven’t had dinner yet, have you?”
Lin Wangye shook his head but didn’t realize until two seconds later that Shi Yuan couldn’t see him, so he quickly added, “No.”
Shi Yuan’s voice softened. “Go eat, then. You can’t make up for today’s class, but once you’re done, head back to school for evening study.”
Lin Wangye’s throat felt dry. He lowered his gaze and mumbled, “…Okay.”
Since it was someone else’s phone, Shi Yuan didn’t keep him on the line for too long. After reminding him there might be some light snow tonight and to dress warm, he hung up.
Lin Wangye stood there for a long while, just listening to the dial tone, before finally dropping his arm and dejectedly handing the phone back to Lu Chengxuan.
Ever since they met, Lin Wangye had always seemed upbeat and full of energy. But now? He looked like the soul had been drained out of him.
Even someone as slow as Lin Shen should’ve picked up that something was wrong, but he was completely clueless. He turned and shot a look at Lu Chengxuan, hoping he could make sense of it all.
Lu Chengxuan could pretty much guess what was going on.
But Lin Wangye had once asked him to keep it a secret from Lin Shen. Even though he hadn’t exactly promised back then, he wasn’t going to betray him now.
Seeing that Lu Chengxuan stayed silent, Lin Shen assumed he didn’t know either. So he went ahead and just asked outright, “What’s going on? Has Xu Suinian been discharged?”
“Yeah,” Lin Wangye nodded. “The property management didn’t want to keep paying the hospital fees, so they sent him home to rest.”
Lin Shen shot to his feet, completely stunned.
“They’ve really gone too far! Just wait, I’m going to have a word with them right now. If I don’t ruin them, I’ll scream ‘I’m a loser!’ three times in the middle of the street!”
Lin Wangye quickly stopped him. “Forget it. He’s actually almost fully recovered anyway. Resting at home is the same thing. I asked the doctor a couple of days ago.”
“Oh—oh.” Lin Shen finally let out a breath of relief, then couldn’t help flicking his finger at Lin Wangye’s forehead. “Then what were you looking so dead inside for? I thought something serious happened.”
It had already been a pretty overwhelming day, packed with way too much to take in. Plus, Lin Wangye had spent the whole afternoon looking forward to seeing someone that night, only to be let down in the end. That disappointment drained him completely, like all the air had been sucked out of him. He slumped like a deflated balloon.
He glanced at the unopened cup of instant noodles in front of Lin Shen and let out a long, weary sigh.
“I’m starving.”
Lin Shen handed over the braised beef flavor cup without a second thought. “Here.”
Back during those days of non-stop training and matches, Lin Wangye had eaten so much instant ramen he was practically traumatized. Now just the thought of it made him want to gag. He frowned and said, “I don’t want this.”
“How about pickled mustard greens flavor?” Lin Shen offered, testing the waters.
“Can we just not eat instant noodles?” Lin Wangye groaned. “Just looking at it makes me sick.”
Lin Shen had already stuffed himself with snacks and was still debating whether to bother making the noodles. The second he heard that, he shoved the cup away with a wave and stroked his chin, deep in thought. “Alright then… how about some good old ‘Brotherhood’ spicy hotpot?”
Lin Wangye nodded. “Yeah, let’s do that.”
Without wasting a second, Lin Shen got up and gave Lu Chengxuan a pat. “Let’s go.”
The moment Lin Wangye said he didn’t want instant noodles, and Lin Shen paused to think, Lu Chengxuan had already accepted his role as the designated ATM. He stood up wordlessly, and before walking out, he even remembered to pause ‘Focus Report’ on the computer screen.
They pushed open the glass door of the internet cafe, tugging their collars up against the cold as they stepped into the street, walking side by side toward the intersection.
A cold wind swept past them, thick with that damp, heavy feeling in the air right before snow. If nothing unexpected happened, it was bound to snow again tonight, turning Ningchang into a winter wonderland.
Back in those days, street food vendors in Ningchang weren’t under such strict control.
Especially around schools—seeing a whole street packed with food stalls wasn’t anything unusual.
Winter meant fewer people on the streets, though. It was freezing, and students who hated the cold usually stayed inside for lunch or dinner, which meant fewer customers for the stalls. Plus, the freezing weather made it hard to keep food warm, so there weren’t nearly as many vendors out as in summer.
Thankfully, freshly cooked spicy skewers didn’t have that problem.
By the time they reached the intersection, their usual stall was already open like always. The old man and woman were bustling behind the counter, steam pouring out of the hotpot in thick clouds thanks to the freezing air. The smell of chili oil broth drifted down the street.
This was the spot Lin Shen and Lin Wangye often came to. The old lady already knew their faces well. The moment she saw them, she called them over warmly and handed them three disposable paper bowls.
Before Lin Shen even sat down, he was already fishing skewers out of the pot and dumping them into his bowl. “Still out here in this cold, Grandma?”
“Not cold at all,” the old lady replied warmly. “Standing by the pot keeps us nice and toasty.”
Her smile nearly squeezed her eyes shut. The fine lines at the corners of her eyes gave her that kind, grandmotherly vibe that made people instantly feel at ease.
Even Lu Chengxuan, who was usually a stickler about hygiene, didn’t care anymore—he was already scooping fish balls into his bowl. Lin Wangye stared blankly at the bubbling hot pot full of tasty stuff. His stomach was definitely sending out hunger signals, but mentally, he just couldn’t bring himself to care. He sat there in a daze, not moving a muscle.
“What’s with you?” Lin Shen elbowed him. “Meditating or something?”
Lin Wangye lowered his gaze and mumbled, “I don’t really feel like eating.”
Lin Shen, ever the rational thinker, narrowed his eyes. “Did you sneak off and eat something amazing for lunch without me or what? Still full?”
Lunch…
Yeah, he ate with Shi Yuan at the hospital. It was just some mediocre bacon rice from a random hole-in-the-wall shop. The taste wasn’t anything special, but somehow he’d finished the whole thing without even realizing—didn’t leave a single grain of rice behind.
Time had flown by so fast, and not once did he feel full.[mfn]The sentence carries both a literal and metaphorical meaning. On the surface, it means he ate quickly and didn’t feel physically satisfied. But on a deeper level, it hints at emotional emptiness—despite spending time with someone and eating a meal, he still feels unfulfilled. This subtle line reflects his inner state, suggesting a quiet loneliness or longing.[/mfn]
“Nothing,” he muttered.
Lin Wangye let out a soft sigh and, just to stop Lin Shen from worrying, reached out and grabbed a few skewers from the pot. He didn’t even look at what he picked—just dumped them into his bowl and quietly started eating.
At his age, Lin Shen had that kind of pure, clueless energy that made him easy to distract. Sure enough, he didn’t ask any more questions and just focused on stuffing his face.
But Lu Chengxuan, on the other hand, kept sneaking glances, quietly watching.
Lin Wangye was sitting on the outer edge of the food cart. His mind was all over the place—he had no clue what he was even thinking. He chewed mindlessly, eyes drifting around without focus. Then all of a sudden, his gaze locked with a pair of big, round eyes.
The whole spicy hotpot setup was a square food cart, hooked up to a covered electric tricycle at the front.
Lin Wangye had never paid attention to it before.
But now, the heavy curtain covering the back of the tricycle had been lifted just slightly, revealing a small gap. Behind it, a pair of wide, curious eyes peeked out—clearly belonging to a little kid. They were only about two meters away, staring right at him.
From her brows and eyes, she looked like a girl around seven or eight years old.
The moment she realized she’d been spotted, the eyes blinked quickly and ducked back behind the curtain. Two seconds later, a pair of pale, dainty fingers pinched the edge of the fabric and quietly opened another small gap.
The little figure hiding inside peeked out again, just for a second—like she was playing hide-and-seek—then vanished behind the curtain once more.
Lin Wangye couldn’t help but smile. He put down his chopsticks and just sat there, quietly watching that spot, waiting.
Just as expected, about twenty seconds later, the little girl peeked her head out again.
In that split second, Lin Wangye caught the moment and shot her a wink with a playful smile.
This time, she didn’t hide. Instead, she stared at him for a while, then blinked back, trying to mimic him. But unlike Lin Wangye, who could wink just his right eye, she ended up squeezing both eyes shut at once. It looked clumsy and kind of silly.
Lin Wangye couldn’t help but laugh. He gave her an encouraging thumbs-up.
The little girl ducked back behind the curtain, and after a moment, she appeared again—this time reaching out to hand something to him. With her whole face finally visible, Lin Wangye noticed she was wearing a mask, so most of her face was still covered.
But with those two small buns on her head—despite her short hair making some strands stick out—and her big round eyes and pale skin, she looked just like one of those porcelain dolls you’d see in a fancy shop window.
Lin Wangye stretched his arm out and took what she was offering. When he looked down, he saw it was a piece of milk-flavored hard candy.
That sweet, innocent gesture melted straight into his heart.
Smiling, he thanked her, unwrapped the candy, popped it into his mouth, and pulled a surprised face like it was the best thing he’d ever tasted.
“Whoa, it’s really sweet!”
The little girl’s eyes curved into crescent moons above her mask. She turned around again and came back with a few more pieces, handing them over.
Lin Wangye glanced at his palm—each candy had a different flavor, and none of the brands looked familiar. Probably some cheap ones you could scoop up by the handful at a supermarket.
Feeling like he couldn’t just accept them for nothing, Lin Wangye patted his pockets, only to realize they were completely empty. He looked around, spotted a convenience store not far off, and got up to head over.
The shelves were packed with all kinds of candy and dried snacks.
He picked out a few packs of classic hard candies he liked, some soft ones, and a few other little treats. At checkout, he even grabbed a handful of lollipops just in case.
When he got back, he stuffed all the goodies straight through the gap in the curtain.
The little girl immediately disappeared behind it, and for a good while, she didn’t show her face again—probably busy digging through everything.
That tiny exchange lightened Lin Wangye’s mood quite a bit.
He turned his attention back to his bowl and started finishing off his food. But before he was done, he heard the rustling of a plastic bag behind him.
Turning around, he saw the little girl had come back out again.
She had gathered up all the snacks Lin Wangye had bought, stuffed them into a white plastic bag, and was now stretching her little arms toward him, clearly trying to give it all back.
The old man cooking meatballs, who was closest to the tricycle, noticed and immediately called out, “What are you doing? It’s cold out—close the curtain!”
The little girl looked up at her grandpa, her voice soft and gentle.
“The candy… the big brother gave it to me.”
The old man glanced at the bag in her hands, then turned to look at Lin Wangye. Realizing what had happened, he quickly took the bag from her and tried to return it.
“Thank you, kid—but we can’t take this. You’d better keep it.”
But Lin Wangye pushed the bag right back into his hands and explained, “It’s alright, Grandpa. She gave me some candy just now—I already ate it.”
As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small handful of candy.
“See? I’ve still got a bunch left. Just take it, it’s nothing fancy—just some snacks. Think of it as a little thank-you gift for the young lady.”
When the old man heard that the little girl had given him something first and saw that Lin Wangye clearly bought the candy himself, he finally stopped insisting. He turned to the girl and said, “What do you say? Thank your big brother.”
The little girl looked straight at Lin Wangye and said clearly, “Thank you, big brother.”
A smile bloomed on his face, and he winked at her again.
“You’re adorable. No need to thank me.”
At that moment, the old woman manning the food cart finally noticed what was going on and called out, turning her head just slightly.
“Suihe, it’s cold out—hurry back inside.”
The moment the words fell, the little girl obediently ducked back into the tricycle.
The curtain at the back of the cart was pulled tight all at once, perfectly shut. Judging from how neat it was, the zipper must’ve been drawn all the way up from inside.
And at that exact moment—when he heard the little girl’s name—Lin Wangye felt like something had slammed right into his soul.
*
“Uncle Shi, why are there so many stars in the sky? Can you take one down and put it in my room like a nightlight?”
“Liking it doesn’t mean you have to take it down, you know.”
“But I like that one. I want that one.”
“Then give it a name. Once you name it, it’s yours.”
“Which one is yours?”
“That small one, next to the moon.”
“What’s your star’s name?”
“Suihe.”
Hello, everyone ヾ(＾∇＾). I hope you enjoyed the story! If you’re feeling generous, please buy me a coffee, share/comment on my translated works! Check out the link below for early chapters. (๑>ᴗ<๑)
His sister died and he bought a star in her name??? OvO